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THE SrMTER WATCHMAN, Est?
CONSOLIDATED AUG. 2,3
LABOR BOARD
HAS SUPPORT
OF GOVERNMENT
Hands Off Policy in
Railroad Strike Sit
~ nation Adhered To
.By Railroad Labor
Board
Washington, Jury 25.?The ad
ministration announced that it
would support the United States
railroad labor board as the only
agency erected by law for handling
the rail strike.
The labor board adhered to its
announced hands-off policy in con
nection with .the strike and mem
bers said no action was contem
plated. ~
Baltimore &: Ohio railroad offi- j
eials and representatives of shop
men in its employ met in an at
tempt to form a separate agree- \
? nient. , : ' \
Executives of some Western rail- ?
ways announced that these roads ;
vould not restore seniority right j
jo striking shopmen. : J
Western executi\-es and the I
Pennsylvania system announced
that passenger.and "freight traffic:
was normal, that . large numbers]
of men are being added to shop j
forces and that the general situa- j
tion is satisfactory. !
Martial law was declared at \
Denison, Texas, where infantry j
companies are assembling.
Washington. July 25 (By the As
sociated Press).?Support of the;
railroad labor board as the only
agency created by law for handl
ing the transportation tie-up. ac
celeration of coal production under
federal protection and control of
fuel distribution.were.given by ad
ministration spokesmen today as j
the three fundamentals of the gov-!
efnrcent's policy toward the in- j
dustrial crisis involved in the coal
and railroad strikes. The statement |
of the government's position fot- j
lowed^ the regular Tuesday meet-;
ihg of the cabinet which for nearly^
three iiours devoted its attention I
to; the double threat against the
country's economic fabrtc^J&mine
?n fuel and disruption of interstate
commerce. - ?
The first step toward..control of
depleted ~ transp'?rt?tt?h T?cilities
and coal supply came shortly af
terwards in a statement from the
interestate cdmmerce commission,
declaring that an emergency exist
ed in the territory east of the
Mississippi, which required tha.
commission to direct the routing
of <sll essential commodities and
to fix preference and priority
status to control movement of food
and fuel. *[
The priority ordef was followed
by a "general service order" from
the commission notifying "all com
mon carriers" that an emergency
existed and for them to disregard
usual routing, practice, freight
rate divisions and traffic arrange
ments so as to obtain the most ex
peditious movement of essential
freights.
Becoming effective tomorrow the
commission's mandates give rail
roads first priority on fuel require
ments with electric power, light,
gas. water and sewer works, ice
plants serving the public, and re
frigeration plants engaged in
preservation of food, following in
the order named.
Proposed appointment of a fed
eral commission to investigate the
coal industry received further
support today in a resolution in
troduced in the senate by Chair-1
man Borah of the labor commit
tee. . Mr. Borah suggested the
commission be composed of three
members appointed-by the presi
dent and that it recommend the
advisability or necessity of nation
alizing the industry or of the in
stitution of government regula
tion.
In outlining the government po
sition in the railroad strike ad
ministration spokesmen said it had
been decided that the railroad la
bor's board's statutory authority
to determine wages and working
conditions for railroads must be
recognized and upheld and that the
attempts to operate min*? in spite
of the miners' union strike must
be continued until it is demon
strated that not enough men are
willing to work* under :<tate and
federal protection to bring out an
adequate tonnage.
It was added that the adminis
tration was struggling to deal
fairly with the entangled rights of
all parties to the widespread in
dustrial controversies but intended
above al! to uphold the majesty
and dignity of the government of
the United States.
Meanwhile in the fuel crisis re
sulting from the coal strike the
powers of the government will *e
used to distribute the diminished
current production of coal in ac
cordance with the demands of pub
lic welfare and to prevent the tak
ing of extortionate profits. Pres
ident Harding was represented as
unwilling to anticipate in advance
what course niicrht be taken should
the coal output fail to !>*? ;iui?ment
ed to the required tonnage, but for
the present wpek leasst, it was
<tated. he wou'd withhold crea
tion of the suggested federal coal
commission.
While the railroad labor board
would be upheld in its endeavors
to d?-;ii with th?* strike. <?f shop
craftsmen, it was intimated in offi
cial circle* that if the concession
of seniority rights of strikers who
have left service would result in
ib?&hed April, 1850.
ENGLAND
I WILL PAY
! WAR DEBTS
..Lord High Chancellor
Says That Great
Britain Will Main
tain Record of
Meeting All Obliga
tions
London/July 26 (By the Asso
ciated Press). ? Sir Auckland
'Gedd.es, British ambassador to the
United States, and Lord Birken
heacL- lord high chancellor, took
I occasion today at the dinner of the
English sneaking union in farewell
to the -ambassador on his return
to Washington, to reiterate and un
derscore previous ministerial as
surances, of the inviolability of the
obligations of Great Britain to her
debtors. .
The lord high chancellor's ref
erence to Anglo-American financial
affairs which he termed "a delicate
subject,*' was the only materialis
. tic note introduced in what other
wise was a most felicitous exchange
of expressions of amity and good
'will between' "the two greatest
English speaking nations."
"When we. look back upon our
long history we fin(* no occasion
where we ever failed to meet a
bond to which we had ? set our
hand." Lord Birkenhead declar
ed: "Honor and the stability dt
the finance of this country re
quire that we should* be ready to
meet any proper and reasonable
charge , which can properly and le
gally be laid upon us.
"I only touch upon this delicate
subject because it is proper I shoutd
say plainly for the . understanding
of , the citizens of this country and
the United ;States that, we are to
day the unworthy legatees of those
who for generations had charge of
the scurity and financial hegemony
of the world. I ?
: The lord-chancellor's declarations1
drew more applause than Sir Auck
land's affirmations a few minutes
later that far more Americans had
a "comprehensive view . of Great
Britain's problems and conditions
than Britons \ of American .affairs."
This he attributed to- -the insuffi
ciency of news' of the American
continent cabled to the- British
press.
The ambassador through his res
idence in America or the reading
j of newspapers, which he praised
j so, highly, displayed an extensive
? knowledge of ' American slang,
j which he used appropriately and
I handily throughout his address.
He also illustrated what he term
ed "the unbelievable ignorance of
Americans existing in Great Brit
ain" by a number of amusing
anecdotes. This ignorance, how
ever, he added, was not a one-sid
ed affair, and he urged a campaign
of education "to throw light into
the dark places-in the minds of
citizens of the two countries to re
move such colossal ignorance." In
conclusion the ambassador said
that at present so far as official re
lations .were concerned nothing
could be more fortunate' or happy
than the relations between these
two governments.
Charges Undue Delay
Senator Dial's Bill is Report
ed Unfavorably
I Washington. July 26.?The bill
I of Senator Dial. Democrat. South
i Carolina, to amend the Smith
! Lever act by increasing the num
i ber of grades of cotton deliverable
on future contracts was reported
? unfavorably today by the senate
j agriculture committee. Senator
Dial recently moved to discharge
j the committee from further con
sideration of the bill and also of
fered it as an ^amendment to the
pending tariff bill.
The Committee's action today, it
was said, was to meet Senator
j Dial's demands to have the bill
j brougat before the senate prompt
j ly. Senator Dial having charged
I undue delay in its consideration.
'Senator Keys. Republican. New
j Hampshire, chairman of the sub
I committee in charge of the bill,
isaid another similar measure by
i Senator Caraway. Democrat, Ar
jkansas. still was before the com
j mittee and that action toward
j amending the cotton futures act
i might yet come from the commit
tee.
! Galcsburg. III.. July 27?Three
! ?eparate kidnappings by striking
Burlington shopmen were reported
this morning. A crowd of strikers
late yesterday abdiu'ted two em
ployes, took then: to a farm out
side the city, heat them, and turn
| ed them loose blindfolded in a
! blackberry patch.
j their returning to work the rail
I rood managements ought to yield
j the point.
There was no concealing that
j grave concern h.'d been given
government officials by verified
reports concerning the dwindling
of coal output.
; The possibility was said to have
been advanced in the cabinet ses
Ision that the president might call
i another conference of the miners*
,uni<?n officials and coal mine ope
rrators. this time including the
[spokesmen of operating associa
tions in West Virginia and Penn
sylvania who wer?* not willing to
attend '.he former meetings.
"Be Just and Fear 3
COAL TO BE
DISTRIBUTED
BY COMMISSION
Interstate Commerce
Commission Says
That Emergency
Exists?M i n e r sr
Leader Ridicules
Government Plan
*
The interstate commerce com
mission declared an emergency ex
ists east of the Mississippi river on
railways as the first step by the
government toward control of coal
distribution.
John L. Lewis, head of striking
miners, said that government's
"fantastic schemes" to reopen the
coal mines had contributed toward
a pending fuel famine and tender
ed an invitation to operators to
settle strike by joint .conference.
Calling of a special session of
the Indiana legislature to repeal
the miners' qualification laws and
to enact sucTT other legislation as
necessary to meet the coal strike
situation was suggested to Govern
or McCray.
Kentucky troops are ordered out
following alleged threats against
non-union men at Fonda. "?
Washington. July 25 (By the As
sociated Press). ? Mobilized to
meet the crisis of a nationwide
fuel shortage, federal agencies, pro
ducing operators and railroad traf
fic experts 'awaited tonight the
word from President Harding to
set in motion the administration
machine for emergency coal con
i trol.
Ground work for the emergency
fuel rationing program was laid to
day by the interstate commerce
'commission, which declared an
emergency existed on the railroads
east of the Mississippi river. This
1 formal announcement of the car
' riers' inability to serve the public
; in the transportation of necessi
ties opened the way for the dis
tribution of coal under the plan
! unanimously adopted < by repre
sentatives^of the producing field in
! conference with fceeretary Hoov
er/
I The directing agency for the
emergency?? presidential com
mittee chosen' from the interstate
I commerce commission, the depart -
! nrents of justice, commerce and
I interior with Secretary Hoover as
[chairman?will be named by Pres
! idem Harding tomorrow, accord
ing; to high administration officials.
J This committee with the aid of ?n
I administrative committee of oper
ators, railroad traffic experts and
j probably representatives of public
i utilities will direct the activities
i of local committees of operators
j in maintaining fair prices and di*s
jtributing fuel to the carriers and
i other public utilities in the order
of preference established by the
j interstate commerce commission
' as best suited to serve the needs of
the general public.
Two orders, both based on- its
declaration that emergency in
"transportation existed, were issued
by the commission. The first di
rected railroads all over the United
States to disregard usual or re
quested routing of shipments in fa
vor of such routing as would ex
pedite movement and avoid con
gestion, while the second estab
lished a system of preference and
priority in shipments over all rail
roads east of the Mississippi.
Though the preference system
sketched in the second mandate
j said that priority should be giv
en in the movement of food, live
, stock, perishable products and coal
j and other fuels, all of details were
j devoted to facilitating the govern
ment plan for distributing coal.
I Railroads were directed to sup
j ply coal cars to mines "for such
! special purposes as may from time
! to time be designated .by the com
I mission or its agent." the agent
j mentioned being the presidential'
j committee which will direct coal
j distribution. These special needs
! having been cared for, carrieis
j were directed to use all equip
j ment for transporting fuel, first",
j to railroads and other common
I carriers: second, to public utili
; tics, street railways, power, light,
! gas. water and sewer works, ice
j plants and hospitals: third to gov
ernmental." local, state and federal
; bodies and fourth?this applying
I only to coal carriers reaching
I Pennsylvania. Ohio, West Virgin
jia. Kentucky. Tennessee and .Ala
! bama?for shipments via Lake
; Erie ports to Lake Superior ports,
i Domestic fuel coal generally was
given the next place in the pref
? eren.ee list.
Railroads were forbidden to di
vert or reconsign shipments, ex
cept as they might be needed for
superior use under the order of
classification set forth.
They were further required to
discontinue use of cars suitable
. for c?>al shipment in any other
traffic, and railroads not serving,
mines were required to begin daily
I deliveries of suitable coal cars to
coal carriers.
The order giving priority for
food and other shipments was
qualified by a clause stating that
such preference should be shown
by ;t carrier only "to the extent
that it is currently to be unable to
promptly transport all the freight
traffic ordered it for movement.*
In the routing orders applying nil
over the United States, the com
mission required the roads t?? dis
regard existing contracts and
S'ot?Let all the ends Thou Aims't i
Sumter, S. C, Saturdi
DISRUPTION Of
MINERS' UNION
PREDICTED
Program of President
Farrington of Illi
nois Miners' Union
For Separate Con
tracts Are Denounc
ed by Other Leaders
Springfield, July 27.?The dis
ruption of the United Mine Work
ers of America, if President Far
rington of the Illinois Mine Work
ers, is permitted to proceed with
the program announced at St.
Louis yesterday was predicted here
today, by John Watt, secretary
treasurer of the Springfield sub
district, who declared that it is up
to John L. Lewis, international
president, "to act and act quickly."
According to Watt the action of
Farrington in calling a convention
to submit a separate wage contract
is "rank sedition" and nothing
short of "suicide by Farrington."
St. Louis. July 27.?President
Farrington. of the Illinois Mine
Workers today rescinded the call
for. a state convention to be held
at Peoria on August 3rd. He also
telegraphed acting Governor Sterl
ing, declining to enter the plan
for a settlement outlined by Sterl
ing yesterday.
FREIGHT IS
BEING MOVED.
HOADSCLJ^JM
Gain in Workers is Reported
?Passenger Traffic I t rn
West is Said to Be Qtfe?
ating Normally '
Chicago. July 26.?Western rail
way executives in a statement to
night asserted, freight is -being
moved as offered without conges
tion and passenger traffic is being
operated normally while leaders- in
the railway shopmen's strike stifl
maintained the walkout was vir
tually 100 per cent.
The Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy, which yesterday reported
an increase of 455 in shop em
ployes today added 325 more men
to its force, the statement said.
The Pennsylvania system report
ed a gain of 662 shopmen for the
day, the largest single day's im
provement since the. strike began,
a statement said.
The railroad Labor board main
tained its hands-off policy. Chair
man Ben W. Hooper was called to
Newport. Tenn.. by the death of' a
relative, and other board members
gave the strike no official atten
tion.
Telegrams were received from
the Idaho Producers' Union. and
the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
asserting that fruit and vegetable
growers face disaster unless the
strike can be settled at once.
E. F. Grable. head of the main
tenance of way union, scouted re
ports from Detroit that his organi
sation was again talking of strik
ing and announced that he in
j tended to submit to the board ap
j plications for wage rehearings on
several roads.
LIGHTNING
! KILLS YOUTH
Walterboro. July 26.?Fenn Ack
I erman. the 13-year-old boy of J. O.
[ Ackerman. of Cottageville, was
I killed by lightning Tuesday during
a severe electric storm which
visited this section. Fenn was out
in the lot when a bolt struck a
j tree near which he was standing.
[ killing him instantly. The only
I mark it left on the bey was a dark
i place near his temple. His mother
was in the house with the smaller
children and the bolt stunned her.
throwing her to the floor in an
unconscious condition. Mr. Acfcer
j man. the father of the boy. was
j at. Jacksonboro at the time. As
i soon as the mother regained con
sciousness she went to look for her
son and found him in the lot with
life extinct. Fenn was the oldest
of several children.
j agreements applying to freight rev
enue divisions.
i Both orders were made effective
i "from and after ,Ju:y 26." and were
i based on authority delegated to
j the commission by the transporta
j tion a?-t.
i The priorities order save no rea
j son for the emergency which was
I declared to exist, -but said the car
riers could not "completely serve
I the public in the transportation of
; essential commodities."
; The only geographical area en
titled to preference under the order
Iis in the northwest where the sup
| ply of coal h customarily moved by
way of the Great Lakes in sum
i mcr months. This system was
j adopted in !:?-'". though great
I complaint was occasioned in oth
er territories on the ground thai
j if adequate coal was nut furnished
I in the summer railroads would not
j l?c able to handle enough of it in
: winter, even i? mined.
It was expected thai the "special
i i?urposes" classification set up in
the commission order would he the
j foundation of the entire pric eon
I trolling effort of the govern
1 meht's coal distribution plan, by
I serving to prevent ears getting to
mines whose owners did not take
fair prices.
it be thy Country's, Thy God's and '
ay, July 29, 1922
BLEASE IS
SCORED FOR
DISLOYALTY
j Duncan Makes Attack
j on Columbia Candi
date?Laney and
j McLeod is Attacked
For Membership in
j the Cotton Associa
tion
i s
j Dillon, July 26.?Before a
' crowd that sweltered in the heat of
: one of 'the hottest days since the
I beginning of the campaign, can
jdidates for state offices spoke here
I today. The crowd gathered early
and displaying wonderful patience
jas one set of candidates after an
J other spoke, remained to hear
[the aspirants for the governorship,
j who spoke last.
; Cole L. Blease was the last
jspeaker of the day and addressed
J possibly the largest crowd. The
jtwo women candidates for state
i superintendent of education were
j accorded warm welcome. They
i spoke earnestly and were, gener
j ously applauded. More women
j than have attended any meeting so
ifar were present today.
I John T. .Duncan was the first
f of the candidates for governor to
j be introduced. He launched into
;an attack on Cole L. Blease after
j talking for several minutes on the
?Columbia canal. He spoke of Mr.
1 Blease's "Republican taint" and
the'war record of the former gov
ernor, declaring that when the
! American soldiers were fighting in
! France Mr. Blease's own brother
["had to get out and make speeches
to counteract his (Cole L. Blease's)
disloyalty." .The former governor,
{he added, had done enough to
|."damn any man to purgatory and
I back." Men support Mr. Blease, he
[said, merely to be contrary. Mr.
! Duncan also attacked Mr. McLeod
i^nd Mr. Laney because of .their
j membership in the cotton associa
tion.
Senator Laney paid a tribute to
j Dillon county, declaring this one
i of the greatest in war and one of
! the greatest in peace. He called
?attention to the fact that the first
South CaroUna officer to be killed
iin the World War was a Dillon
J man. John' H. David.x
"When the women got the bal
| lot.** the Chesterfield man declared,
I "John Barleycorn died."
I Whiskey* is the greatest enemy
! of mankind and always will be.
j Mr. Laney reviewed his record in
ithe legislature and dwelling upon
j his consistent support for schools
J and education, for economy and
j the betterment of the state, de
? clared that if his name is scratch
: ed it will be his record that is
j brushed aside. He pledged him
j self, not only to economy but to
j constructive economy, not econo
j my at the expense of schools and
i roads. The. tax burden could be
lifted from lands and particularly |
from farm lands. Mr. Laney says
he stands for a system which he
declared would lift the burden
from the bended backs of the
i farmers and place it on luxuries. He
: told Of his part as a legislator in |
; tapping new sources of revenue j
j and cutting down the state levy
j from 12 to 7 1-2 mills. Today Mr. j
; Laney declared that if elected he ]
j would "uphold the law. to the let- j
' ter." y I
; Thomas G. McLeod prefaced his j
! remarks with the statement that !
; he had married in Dillon county j
I had felt that he was therefore a i
j son-in-law of this county. He
i welcomed the women to their new |
? duties of citizenship. He reviewed!
j briefly the power of the governor, j
chief of which he declared is the J
i power of the veto and the pardon
j ing power. These, he said, should
j be exercised with extreme precau
tion. The BishopviUe man spoke
I of rhe new problems now facing
?the people and these he gave as j
(his opinion can be solved only by]
' thinking in terms of the time in j
which the people are living today; j
j the war has brought about far- ;
!reaching changes. Mr. McLeod also]
?favored economy, but reasonable j
economy: not such economy as!
[ would hamper the schools or block :
! progress. The present system of
taxation, he said, is obsolete and
I defending the gasoline tax. made
?the statement that 75 per cent of
; the people who pay this tax pay
no other tax at all. Law enforce- \
men! he named as the paramount
issue in this campaign.
Former Governor Cole L. Blease
j was accorded something ?l an ova
: fion when he arose and when he
, concluded his speech.
Me said he told the people of
[South Carolina in Li) 14 that if they
I elected a certain crowd they would
bankrupt the state. That croud
was elected, lie continued, and has
done what he predicted. They have
brought the state and the indi
vidual citizens of the state ti? the
point of bankruptcy. H.e recited
th?- fact that the appropriations
for I1*2U were mure than $6.(M?0.
l>0(?. having heen increase from
about $1.0UO.ooo in t.'?15. He made
;i comparison of state expenditures
in 1.1? 14. the last year h<> was gov
ernor, with those of last year, and
gave as the reason f'>r this in
crease the creation of new offices
and "useless expenditures." He
scored the tax commission, paid his
respects to the budget commission,
Truth's/'
CONFERENCES
IN WASHINGTON
REVIVE HOPE!
Meeting of Leaders of j
Strikers and Rail-1
road Officials Mayj
Result in Strike Set- j
tlement
' i
Washington, July 27-Hope!
for a move toward a settlement of
the railroad strike was received to
day as the leaders of both sides!
gathered here presumably for aj
conference with administration of-;
ficials. although definite indica-1
'tions were lacking, as to whether
the presence, here at the same time |
had the added significance of any i
prearrangement. B. M. Jewell, the |
strike leader, and six international)
presidents-went into conference im- j
mediately with W. H. Johnston, ?
head or' the Machinists Union. At |
the same time T. Dewitt Cuyler. I
chairman of the association of rail
executives, went into conference
with President Harding.
I
Washington, July 27.?Jewell and,
his colleagues went into a confer- I
ence with the president shortly af- j
ter Cuyler had concluded. On:
leaving'the White House Cuyler
said he had presented the view- ;
point of the railroad managements'
and would remain in Washington!
"to await the pleasure of the pres- j
ident." Jewell on leaving the \
White House said the labor leaders j
would meet again with the presi-1
dent this afternoon. He said the \
morning conference was confined |
to a general discussion of the rail- j
road situation.
* 1 mmmmwm^^mm^m^^ ????
"Doc" Sawyer j
Denies Charges!
_?
Hardfing's Personal Physician ]
Says He is Not Neglecting j
Veterans
_ i
Washington. July 26.?Replying j
to charges that as.chief coordina-j
tor of the federal board of hospi- I
talization he had delayed and ofo- {
structed the government's - program j
for care of disabled war veterans, 1
Brigadier GeneraU Sawyer. Presi-j
dent Hardlng's personal physician,
in a formal statement today de-;
clared "facts certainly show that;
the, United States government isi
doing . every consistent thing pos- j
sible for disabled ^veterans; and for.:
the length of time at its disposal j
everything has been achieved!
which human agency could acconj-j
plish."
General Sawyer's statement wa--i
in reply to the charge made pubite!
yesterday in Chicago by A. A. j
Sprague. chairman of the national J
rehabilitation - committee of -tSMir;
American Legion that the presi
dent's physician was standing in the;
way oi: hospitalization work.
In his statement General Sawyer
declared that "it is the determina- j
tion of. the administration to give
to the disabled world war veterans j
the very best of hospital service J
that can possibly be provided."
"It should be my constant effort!
and my policy," the statement con-;
tinued, to proceed with reason, ef- j
fieiency and economy in carrying
out such of its affairs as come to the
attention of the federal board of
hospitalization. From this position
I will not be forced, cajoled or
stampeded."
Declaring that the American I
public should know the hospital j
situation as it really exists at the!
present time General Sawyer said
it could tfien be determined wheth
er the government is making ef
forts to take care of its disabled!
war veterans and whether the j
charges by Mr. Sprague were just, j
"At present under government
control and operation." his state
ment continued, ?"there are in the
United States of America 99 gov- J
eminent hospitals with a capacity
of 28.413 beds. 10.191 of which are;
at the present time unoccupied.
'?When the hospitalization plan
of the government for the care of j
I the former service men shall have;
j been completed as now contemplat- j
' ed?and which is being hurried to
early completion?it will repre
sent in all o% the departments a
total expenditure of approximately'
j S80U.UUU.01K?."
j Coincident with issuing the state
ment. Dr. Sawyer made public let
I ters from his associates and from
Colonel Forbes, director of the
i veterans' bureau, commending hiiu
j for his work and expressing appre
I elation for his service.
Chicago, July 27.?Just as the
railway strike seemed to have set
I tied to a long drawn out. deter
j mined battle, hopes for peace were
! revived by thjj gathering at Wash
I ington of s-rike leaders and rail
I way executives. The restoration of
I seniority right-- to the men on
strike remained the chief obstacle
to peace.
the board *6f public welfare and
of her boards and bureaus and
promised when elected to abolish
these "adjuncts."
Mr. Btease ridiculed the state
ment made sonn- years ago that
the people would have to u?t rid
of Rlease before the law could be
enforced and spoke of the "flow of
blood" in this state today, the
crime wave and the ? utter disre
gard of law and order that one
sees on every hand, unchecked and
unhampered."
THE TRITE SOTJ?
WHY SHIPPING,
BOARD IS
AFAIL?RE
Chairman Lasker Has
Converted Govern
ment Organization
Into a Republican
Political Machine
BY GRATTAX KERAXS
(Special Correspondence).
Washington. July 25.?Rocks
and storms are in the path of
President Harding's ship subsidy
bill, which he has demanded that
congress shall pass at the current
session, on penalty of being re
convened for that purpose. These
obstacles to the plain sailing of the
president':-? pet measure take the
form of facts, figures and argu
ments urged against it by Senator
Fletcher (Democrat, Florida), gen
erally regarded as one of the high
est authorities on American ship
ping.
Senator Fletcher ascribed the
failure of the nation's merchant
fleet to operate successfully and
economically to Chairman Lasker
of the shipping board, who, he
chained had converted <the
board into a political machine and
who spent Iiis time .on political
propaganda instead of attending to
his official duties as chairman.
Experts, some of them owners
and operators of ships, have esti
mated that President Harding's
proposed^ present to the private in
terests which are pressing for the
passage of the ship subsidy bill
.would take from the rank and file
of taxpayers not less than $50,000,
000 a year. The advocates of this
annual ?'bonus" to powerful cor
porations have been flooding the
country with their propaganda.
Chief among these press agents
for the measure is Chairman A. D.
Lasker of the United States Ship
ping Board, one of the putative
authors of the bill with Winthrop
Marvin, vice president and gener
al manager of the American
Steamship Owners' Association.
Part of the campaign for proi.
moting the adoption of the bill
which President Harding has made
his favorite child .among the leg
islative proposals now pending;
j-next to the tariff, is the zealous ef
fort to discredit the merchant ma
, rine established by the Wilson ad
i ministration. These ships are de
| scribed in Chairman Lasker's ap
| peals for. subsidies as "a costly her
! itage."
Referring to this slur on the
people's vast and valuable. invest
ment in serviceable ships. Senator
Fletcher said, in his speech in the
I senate:
i "Think of it! The finest fleet
i owned or controlled by any mari
time power in the world, or by any
t organization, denominated 'a cost
| ly heritage.' These people claim
to want an adequate American Mer
chant Marine?American owned
and American operated?for the
benefit of American commerce and
American industry, and yet the
first essential to such a merchant
! marine is ships, which they com
j plain of as 'a costly heritage.'
j *Tf we could only get rid of the
i ships, the Shipping Board would be
j relieved of annoyance and the
j friends of this measure would be
! happy. Their main purpose would
j be accomplished.
"I must confess to being glad we
I have the ships, and I value them as
J a distinctive asset, which I would
j not like io see dissipated and wast
; ed. I want to see them taken care
1 of and properly employed. They
I constitute the first essential require
[ ment to a merchant marine, and in
| stead of giving them away or sink
i ing them, or paying people to re
j lieve us of them. I would put them
I in service and operate them as our
j needs demand and our interests call
I for until such time as they are
! wanted by those who will keep
! them under our flag, who will take
I pride in their country's 'status on
! the seas, who understand the busi
! ness they would engage in, and who
i will see that they render the ser
j vice the people of this country are
; entitled to have and must have,
j ** 'The nation is cumbered by a
great fleet of merchant vessels,'
they say. It i*s like saying to a man
: wanting to open a bank he is cum
bered by capital, or to a mer
I chant who would like to engage in
foreign trade he is cumbered by
? goods or other assets."
The failure of the nation's mer
: chant marine fleet to operate suc
cessfully and economically is the
[ fault of the present Shipping Board,
! Senator Fletcher declared.
"If the chairman of the board.
, instead of furnishing arguments to
: Congressmen and spending money
on a publicity campaign to persuade
the voters of the country to favor
this bill, would spend his time and
I devote his energies to persuade
American ship owners that they
ought to patronize their own ship
yards; and American merchants
that they ought to give their busi
ness to American ships: and Amer
ican bankers that they ought to en
courage American shipping, that
would be much more helpful in es
tablishing an American merchant
marine.
Senator Fletcher declared that
the Shipping Board under Chairman
Lasker s auspices had become "the
notorious resort of political place
hunters, and has been used to a dis
gusting and scandalous extent as a
political machine." In the same
breath with deprecations of the big
American Meet under his control
and pleas for its sale or donation
fHROX, Established June 1, 1866.
_VOL. LIL NO. 48
VERY LARGE
ENROLLMENT
FORPRIMARY
Heaviest Enr?llm^t;
in Democratic Clubs
Ever Known?Wo
men Voters Swell
Strength
Columbia. Ju'y 2S.?The heav
iest Democratic enrollment the
state ever knew is indicated by ad
vices reaching Columbia Wednes
day, following the closing of the
enrollment books Tuesday even
ing. The state democratic com-,
mittee officials have received no*
reports as yet from county f2om,r
mittees, but unofficial advices" re
ceived from various points indicate
that the enrollment was ^eavy^*
swelled largely by the women
voters.
Harry X. Edmunds, of Columbia*^
secretary of the state democratic
executive -committee, stated todayi
Chat he sent a letter to all cotm
ty committees and secretaries ask
ing that they report to him as soo'ii
as possible on the enrollment
figures, so that he will know how
many balloU; to have printed this"
year. . ?
In the city of Columbia the en
rollment is nearly doubl? w3aafr ^tt
was in 1920, and the percentage
of women whose names appear jm
the club rolls is large.
MARTIAL LAW
IN TEXAS
Five Companies of Militia Or*
dered to Dennison
Austin, Texas, Juy 25.?Martia*
law has been declared at Denison
and five infantry- companies "hfere
are preparing to move there -at
once, Gpv. Pat M. Xeff announced
late today. The action was' taken
due to disorders growing out of
the shopmen's strike, it was statedi
Rahgers called to Denison will': be
shifted .to ,-ChiIdress and Sherman
under the "open port" law. the
governor said. "\
Martial' law' becomes effective at
5 a. m. tomorrow. Detachments ?f
rangers from Denison also wiH- go
to Cleburne, Temple. Am?rittb.
Marshall,. Lufki'n. Kingsville, De
Leon and Waco to do guard duty
and protect railway shoptnen.
Contributing factors to the ne
cessity of martial law. the govern
or said, were the Missouri, Kansas
6 Texas shopmen's strike, the--ix*"?,
ability of the railroad to carry on
freight traffic and maintain -the
regular channels of commexca~3rt>
cause the workmen lately em
ployed were "intimidated, threat^
ened and injured by physical vio
lence and the inability of bfScers
who .had personally cbnferfeflT
with him to protect workers and
preserve peace."
Birmingham, July 25.?On or
ders from Governor Kilby 100
members of the Alabama National
Guard were being mobilized here
tonight for. "instant use," if neces
sary; in connection with the shop
men's strike. It was said the
measure was a precautionary one
and that no orders .had been gier
en for the soldiers to * ^rftfaiz/ for
any particular point. - t -
j Man reaps what he. sqwa .u&less
! the chickens get it. ?* -~- - ?
to private interests, Cha'trman Lask
er isseeking'to enlarge"Jhetpowers
and expenditures of the;.Shipping
Board, Senator Fletcher showed.
Phijtjp Manson. practical author
ity on the subject of shipping^ has
testified (Hat the ship subsidies ad
vocated by President Hardr^gaitd,
Chairman Lasker would be utterly
futile in creating a merchant ?ma
rine. .
In testimony given before-tha
Senate Committea on Commerce,
Mr. Manson said:
"I say to you that the only thing
j subsidies will do will be to trans
j fer from the public treasury to~the
. pockets of a few favored steamship
; men. some of whom have appeared
I before the Committee, large suxas
of taxpayers' money, and' what is
worse, it will perpetuate the graft
and incompetence which is now tie
real reason for our failure to k&ve
an American merchant marine.*'...
Payment of subsidies to "private
corporations for operating ships
i would, commit the taxpayers toca
: costly program of indefinite con
, tinuance. Senator Fletcher .said.
) He dissented from the vie\yss of
: President Harding and Chairmais
j Lasker. who propose subventions as
I the only sure means of upbuilding
an American merchant marine.
"The vision of a merchant marine
coming out of this bill is a deeep
! tive mirage." Senator Fletcher said,
j "It is a false light. It meaTv*
' wreckage. The end will be ..what
i the Shipping Board apparentiy
! would enjoy as they sit in their
j offices and draw their salaries, rje>
i lieved of the burden of those ships,
i beholding the American merchant
I marine on their walls, 'painted
I ships on a painted ocean."
J Edward X. Hurley, formet chair;
j man of the Shipping Board: -JameE
j A. Farrell, President of the For
eign Trade Council;, the Americjfffi
Federation of Labor, many com
mend .?1 bodies and various opera
tors of ships are &'mong individuals
and organizations that are opposing
President Hardim.'s pet measure as
extravagant and useless.